Maruekatayawan Palace – Palace of Love and Hope @ Hua Hin, Thailand

The Maruekatayawan (Mrigadayavan) Palace, also known as the Palace of Love and Hope was built by King Rama IV as a summer getaway. It is located on Bang Kra Beach just 10km north of Hua Hin. The palace is a series of 16 teak buildings that’s right by the beach, set among a splendid landscape garden of cork trees and fountains; and with its soft hues of blue and red, who wouldn’t feel the love and hope when visiting the palace!

The palace was built in unique Thai-Victorian style by Italian architect Ercole Manfredi and completed in 1924. A prominent feature that you would notice is that there isn’t any halls or rooms on the ground floor because the palace is elevated by 1080 pieces of columns, forming a labyrinth of passageways.

Doesn’t the passageway look rather endless ? The passageways were built so the sea breeze could be felt throughout the palace and indeed, the design could not have been better to truly enjoy the breeze!

This little building here is my favorite where it is located at the end of the passageway that leads to the beach.

During our visit, it was raining and hence the first floor was not open for access to prevent muddy floors. Here is a few photos of the interior from the ground floor.

The landscape garden and the palace are both elegantly maintained. Despite the palace being almost 90 years old, the palace still looks so mint!

A lot of the trees had flowers and wishing cards (?) on them – a way to commemorate King Rama VI perhaps?

Shorts and short skirts are not permitted in the premises but sarongs are available for rent to cover up. Enjoy a few more photos below 🙂

More Info on Mrigadayavan PalaceMrigadayavan Palace on WikiHua Hin Travel Website.Cha Am Travel Website
Getting there: The Palace is 10 km north of Hua Hin, on the main road in Hua Hin. You can reach there via tuk tuk or cab. The drivers will normally take you to the palace and wait for you to explore and either bring you back or to your next desired attraction.
Opening Hours: Daily 8.30 am – 4.30 pm. Closed on Wednesdays.